Improvement in smut-machines



1 UNITED STATES ALEXANDER DUNCAN, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN SMUTQ-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,2fi5, dated August26, 1862.

the accompanying drawings, making apart of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a vertical central section of my invention, taken in theline a? m, Fig. 2; Fig. 2. a horizontal section of the same, taken inthe line yr, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a'd etached view of a portion pertaining tothe same.

.Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral figures.

This invention consists in the employment or use of a rotating concavespike-beater, stationary convex toothed plate, vertical heaters, fans,and expanding blastspouts, arranged in such a manner that the grainwillbe subjected to a thorough scouring and perfectly cleansed and separatedfrom smut and other impurities.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand'and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the frame of the machine, which may be constructed in anyproper way to support the working parts, and B is a verti'calshaft,which is fitted centrally in the frame A, and has a blast-fan, O, on itslower part, said fan being inclosed within a cylindrical case, D, intowhich air is admitted through apertures a a, one at its upper and theother at its lowerend, as shown in Fig. 1. The upper aperture a is madein a horizontal plate, I), in the frame A, against which" plate theupper edge of the case D abuts, and on the upper part of frame Av thereis placed a horizontal plate, E, which is connected with a box, F, thatforms, by means offour inclined bottoms, 0, two air-chambers, d d, eachof which has two orifices, e 6. (See Fig. 1.)

0n the vertical shaft B, above the plate E, there is secured a cylinder,G, which is formed of two annular plates or rims, ff, having verticalrods 9 attached to them, the latter forming the periphery of thecylinder G, and placed at such a distance apart as to admit of spaces Itbetween them, as shownin Fig. 2. The rims ff of the cylinder areconnected to the shaft A by radial arms 2', which are sufficiently broad'or deep to serve as a fan (designated by H.) The inner orifices, e, ofthe air-chambers d d are within the lower rim, f, and the orifices e atits outer side.

On the shaft 13 and just above the top rim f of the cylinder G there ispermanently secured a plate, I, the upper surface of which is of concaveform, it being a frustum of a hollow cone, the bottomj being a circularplane surface,and the inclinedsides provided with vertical spikes k,oftaper quad rangular form, (pyramidah) as shown in Fig. 1. These spikes"are placed in concentric circles extendingfrom the circular planesurfacej to the upper edge of plate I, the spikes being disposed inquincunx form.

At each angle of the plate E there is secured a vertical rod, J. Theserods have screwthreads cut on their upper parts,below which there areshoulders to form bearings for aplate, K, which has a convex undersurface or face side corresponding to tlieupper or face side of theplate I. (See Fig. 1.) The under surface of the plate K is toothed, asshown at Z, and the teeth being in concentric circles and directly overthe centers of the spaces between the spikes k of the plate I. TheplateK is also provided with a circular pendent rim, m, at its under or faceside,which projects down between the two outermost circles of spikes 70.This pendent rim m is corrugated or toothed atitsinner surface. Theplate K is secured or held in proper position on the rods J.

L represents'a curb or hollow cylinder of sheet metal,which isperforated, as shown at m, and has vertical bars M attached to its innersurface at suitable distances apart. The bars M are beveled at theirinner surfaces or face sides, as shown at 0 0 in Fig. 2, and thesebeveled surfaces have teeth p formed on them in an inclined position,butparallel with each other, as shown in Fig. 3. v

N N are two blast-spouts which are placed at opposite sides of the frameA and communicate at their lower ends with the fan-case-D.

The spouts N have an inclined position, and

the upper parts,q,of theirinner sides work on joints or hinges r, theparts q being allowed to work into the spouts, so as to increase ordiminish their capacity. The upper parts of the spouts N have bars sattached to them, which projectover the plateK and are secured theretoby setscrews O,saidsetscrews passing through oblong slots tin the barss,which admit of the latter being adjusted farther in or out from theframe A, and consequently admit of the spouts N being adjusted more orless inward, so as-to regulate the discharge of foreign substancestherefrom as circumstances may require, as will be fully understood byreferring to Fig. 1. The lower parts of theair-chamhers (I d communicateby means of spouts u u with the lower parts of the spouts N N,and

the lower ends of the latter project down he low the fan-case D andcommunicate with the the grain passingover the tops of the spikes k.

The grainpasses off the edge of the plate I and is thrown into thecylinder G by the teeth on the beveled surfaces 00 of the bars M, therods 9 serving as heaters and acting upon the grain as the latter passesbetween them. The dust, pulverized smut,.&c., are driven out through theperforated curb or hollow eylin der L by the fan H, and the grain passesdown into the air-chamber (Z d, being subjected to a blast therein,which is induced upward there in by the rotation of fan H. The grainpasses down through the spouts u a into the spouts N N, and is theresubjected to a second blast, produced by the rotation of the fan 0, theremaining impurities being driven out through the upper ends of. thespouts N N, and the cleansed grain discharged at the lower ends, 11 'v,of said spouts. By altering the capacity of the latter, through themedium of the adjustable parts q of the inner or back parts of thespouts N N, the draft therein may be regulated as desired, and thedischarge of the foreign substances also regulated as desired byadjusting the spouts Nin a more or less oblique position. V 7

By having the plates I K made, respectively, of concave and convex form,as set forth, the passage of the grain between them is considerablyretarded and, the scouring operation rendered far more efficient than itotherwise would be, and in consequence of having the fan H arranged andcombined with the beatercylinder H, as described, the dirt is expelledsimultaneously with the heating operation and a very compact arrangementof means obtained for the purpose.

I do not claim, separately, a toothed scouring-plate; nor do I claimthefans and spouts irrespective of the construction and arrangement hereinshown and described; but

I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 2. Thecylinder G, formed of the annular rimsff, connected by the vertical rodsor beaters g, and provided internally with the fan H,

in connection with the perforated curb or hollow cylinder L and bars M,having beveled toothed surfaces 0 0, arranged as herein set forth. i

3. The combination of the air-chambers d d, blast-spouts N N, and fans H0, arranged with the cylinder G, to operate iniconjunction therewith, asand for the purpose specified.

ALEXR. DUNCAN.

Witnesses:

E. G. SMYsnrd LEONARD KooNs

